1. Chapter 16.3: Music Pg

2. Sound Quality
Music is a set of notes that combine in patterns that are pleasing
Noise, on the other hand, has no pleasing patterns
The sound quality of musical instruments results from blending a fundamental tone with its overtones
Resonance also plays a role in the sound quality

3. Fundamental Tones and Overtones
Every object has its own natural frequencies
The lowest natural frequency of an object is called the fundamental tone
The fundamental tone determines what note you hear
The object’s higher natural frequencies are called overtones
Overtones have frequencies that are two, three, or more times the frequency of the fundamental tone
The blending of overtones and fundamental tones produces different sound qualities

4. Resonance
Resonance affects the sound quality of a musical instrument by increasing the loudness of certain overtones.
A musical instrument is designed so that a part of it will resonate with the overtones it produces
Example:
In guitars, the vibrating strings cause the guitar’s hollow body to resonate
The shape and material of the guitar determine which overtones are loudest

5. Groups of Musical Instruments
How does a musician control the sounds produced by a musical instrument?
To control pitch, the musician changes the fundamental tones produced by the instruments
To control loudness, the musician changes the energy of the vibrations
The way pitch and loudness are controlled varies among the groups of instruments
There are three basic groups of instruments
1. Stringed Instruments
2. Wind Instruments
3. Percussion Instruments

6. Stringed Instruments
The stringed instruments produce sound by vibrating when they are strummed or rubbed by a bow
Loudness is increased by resonance when the instrument’s hollow body vibrates as the strings vibrate
Pitch of each string depends on four factors
1. Length (Longer = lower notes)
2. Thickness
3. What material it’s made from
4. How tightly its stretched

7. Wind Instruments
Wind instruments includes brass instruments and woodwind instruments
An example of a brass instrument is the trumpet
An example of a wind instrument is the clarinet

8. Brass Instruments
Brass instruments produce sound when a musician’s lips vibrate against the mouthpiece
This causes the air column in the instrument to vibrate

9. Woodwind Instruments
Woodwinds usually contain a flexible strip of material called a reed
A woodwind produces sound when the reed vibrates, causing the instruments air column to vibrate
In wind instruments the length of the vibrating air column determines the note that you hear
The longer the air column the lower the notes

10. Percussion Instruments
Percussion Instruments vibrate when they are struck
Examples of percussion instruments include: Drums, bells, cymbals, and xylophones
The pitch of a drum depends on three things
1. Size (Larger = lower pitches)
2. The material it’s made of
3. The tension in the drumhead

11. Acoustics
Acoustics is the study of how sounds interact with each other and the environment
Sound waves can interfere with each other
Constructive interference may distort sound
Destructive interference can produce dead spots, where loudness is reduced

12. Acoustics Sound waves can also interact with the environment
Reverberation is when the echoes of a sound are heard after the sound source stops producing sound waves
Some reverberation is desirable in concert halls
Too little reverberation makes instruments sound thin and distant
With too much reverberation, reflected waves interfere and individual notes become hard to pick out

13. Acoustics
Acoustics is used in the design of concert halls to control reverberation and interference
Curved hard surfaces are used to direct sound waves to different parts of the concert hall
Soft surfaces absorb sound waves

14. Writing Assignment:
With your group that you created your instrument with answer the following in paragraph form:
Which one of the three groups of musical instruments would your instrument be a part of? Explain why!
How would you change the tone/pitch of your instrument?
Explain how you would use acoustics to help your instrument sound the best it possibly could in a concert hall